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Wednesday, October 20, 2010

There are rants, and then there are rants

This is sort of a harmless little ol' rant.

At least, I think it is!

Sometimes, though, once I get started I can get kinda wound up, and it "could" end up a full fledged crazy woman rant. We'll see how this one goes.

Drama Queens.

Do you hate 'em?!

I just hate 'em!

for real.

Now, granted - it IS fun to be a Drama Queen once in awhile. And okay - I admit it - I turn into one when I have a major rant. But, I don't live that role daily. For one thing, it's exhausting! And for another, it's boring.

I'm as bored to death by them as William Holden playing Joe Gillis here is by Gloria Swanson's Norma Desmond.

Actually, I adore Norma Desmond. Sadly, though, the Drama Queens I've encountered haven't a smidgen of the flair she had.

I mean, IF you're gonna be a Drama Queen; at least be entertaining with it.

Keep me on the edge of my seat wondering what on earth might come next.

Instead, I get whiners who want to start every single conversation with a tale about how busy they are at work (sigh), or how sick they've been (so sorry, sigh). Now, I don't mean to sound un-sympathetic. If this weren't a pattern with some people I would be ever so sympathetic. But these are the people you have to wonder how on earth they ever find the time to pee they're so over-worked. Or how they ever have time to enjoy a sunset 'cause they're always so sick. It's pitiful. And I guess that's my rant. Pitiful just bores me to tears.

Does it you? Or am I just mean mean mean?

oooh - Mean People! I REALLY hate mean people! So, I hope I'm not one. Well, okay - sometimes I can be. But only when pushed and I feel the need to push back. (that's fair? right?).

I try to keep one rule in mind when I use Meanderings and Muses to vent.

I love waking up to a foggy morning, as I did today. Fog removes the hard edges and sharp colors of everything I see and gives the illusion of a world that is just a bit softer, quieter and more gentle. It may not last long, but it calms my soul and lifts my spirits. Unless I have to drive somewhere. Then, all bets are off!

Jill - I agree. And this reminds me of something Lewis Grizzard, the funniest journalist to ever come out of Atlanta, GA, used to say to people if they talked badly about the south - "Go Home. Delta is ready when you are."

What do I hate?I've decided to replace hate by saying I just don't understand or appreciate some things. I promptly forget them.What do I love?You'll have to go to Cobbledstones.com to see for yourself. Some things are impossible to put into words.

As much as I would love to be able to say, like Bo, I just don't understand mean people, I just can't. I do know "hate" is a strong word, and a "stronger" emotion, so I probably don't mean it as strong as it could be, but it's the word that just falls forth from my lips.

And ooooh - yes, I can certainly see some annoying characters finding their way into books. They certainly can make for some terrific fiction.

Short Story Winner

"Oh, Kaye!" A monthly feature at Jungle Red

Look for me at Jungle Red the first Sunday of each month. Just click this picture and you will magically arrive in the land of Jungle Red Writers. Eight smart and sassy crime fiction writers dish on writing and life. It's The View. With bodies. - And now, me. As resident commentator, reader, visionary, mystery maven, arbiter, pundit and prognosticator. Kind of like Andy Rooney, 'cept I'm still living

IT'S ALL RELATIVE

WOMEN'S SPACES WOMEN'S PLACES

CLOTHES LINES from 75 Western North Carolina Women Writers

CLOTHES LINES from 75 Western North Carolina Women Writers

I'm a lover of words and a lover of images.

The photos you see in the blog posts were mostly shot by me or by husband Donald. Or, they're old family photos - a lovely little benefit of being a part of families who recognized the beauty of preserving our history through photography.

If the photos are not ours, I have tried whenever possible to caption or link the photos to their source. This hasn't always been possible as there are a lot of uncredited images available through the internet.

My sincere thanks to the generosity of so many talented photographers who so graciously share their work for so many of us to enjoy, share and learn from.

IF you see a photo here that is a copyright infringement, please send me an email (barleykw @ appstate dot com) and I'll remove it immediately.

Books Read

Every year I promise myself I'm going to keep a log of books I'm reading. And I immediately forget. Then I remember again, but only after I've already read a few books, but can't be sure I'll remember them all and so - - can't bring myself to start the list. It's sort of like missing the first 30 minutes of a movie. I just can't watch it if I've missed the beginning. And being the anal ol' soul I am, I can't bring myself to start a list if I can't be sure it's going to be a complete one.So.I decided to keep a list during 2010 and found it to be a fun thing. Especially for a compulsive list-maker like myself.

FTC Disclosure Notice

FTC has a new regulation which went into effect in December, 2009 which says, basically - "Amateur Bloggers to Disclose Freebies or Be Fined." Significantly fined. So. Since I happen to be an amateur blogger who sometimes receives free books, here's my required FTC Disclosure Notice: Dear FTC - Regarding review copies of books obtained for this blog. No other compensation is accepted beyond review copies of books - ever. When I do write a review, or opinion, the source of the book cited will be disclosed in the post in which the review/opinon appears. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me.